Simply Tomato: 100 Recipes for Enjoying Your Favorite Ingredient All Year Long

James Beard Award winner Holmberg (Modern Sauces) informs and delights in this paean to the tomato, offering up more than 100 recipes ranging from variations on classics like caprese salad and tomato soup to more advanced dishes, including “time-consuming-but-worth-it” ratatouille. In a conversational voice, Holmberg invites home cooks to explore: “Making the dish so that you will like it, not me, is the goal.” A comprehensive overview covers terminology, how to choose the best fresh and canned tomatoes at the grocery store, and the low-down on refrigeration and freezing. Holmberg makes a convincing case for putting in the effort to make tomato water, jams, and syrups to liven up risotto, grilled fish, and casseroles. The recipes run the gamut from drinks (the “G&T&T”—or gin, tonic, and tomato—is a standout) to salads (including a summery tomato and peach salad with lime-ginger dressing) to main dishes in which tomatoes serve as either focal point (“Provençale Tomatoes”) or accent (chicken schnitzel with tomato and fennel). Pasta sauces include a no-cook affair with feta, mint, and parsley as well as a “slightly excessive” meat sauce. Tarts and pastries round things out. The result is an indispensable resource for tomato lovers. Agent: Joy Tutela, David Black Literary. (June)